Haboob Blog

National talking heads continued to criticize the Arizona Diamondbacks’ latest retaliatory plunk on Monday.

ESPN’s Keith Olbermann gave manager Kirk Gibson and general manager Kevin Towers the title of “World’s Worst” on his Monday segment.

“Don’t get me wrong, I believe in pitching inside. I even believe in retaliatory purpose pitches,” Olbermann started. “But Paul Goldschmidt of the D-backs was inadvertently hit by Ernesto Frieri of the (Pittsburgh) Pirates Friday night. No feud, no bad blood, no reputation for trying to injure, but Goldschmidt suffered a broken hand, which will in all likelihood cost him the rest of the season.”

Olbermann then said Randall Delgado threw a brushback slider to Andrew McCutchen in the ninth inning the following night. Usually, teams would leave it at that, Olbermann said, but Delgado went ahead and hit the Pirates star in the spine two pitches later.

The ESPN personality cited Gibson’s remarks after the game and some controversial comments from Towers last fall, who said he wanted D-backs pitchers to retaliate.

Olbermann went on to have some very harsh descriptors for Gibson, Towers and the D-backs, and he calls the Goldschmidt injury “an accident.”

“He and Towers have made the Diamondbacks the villains of the big leagues,” Olbermann said, later calling them “annoying children.”